Bhubaneswar: Gita Mehta, the renowned India-American writer and the elder sister of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patanaik has declined to accept the Padma Shri that government conferred on her on the eve of Republic Day.
“I am deeply honoured that the Government of India should think me worthy of a Padma Shri but with great regret I feel I must decline as there is a general election looming and the timing of the award might be misconstrued, causing embarrassment both to the Government and myself, which I would much regret,” said Mehta in a press release from New York, USA.
Mehta had been selected for the Padma Shri award in the ‘Foreigners’ category for her outstanding contribution to the field of Art & Literature. She is among the 21 women chosen for Padma awards this year.
A total of 112 Padma awards including 4 Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards will be distributed this year under different fields.
Notably, the award which Mehta declined to accept happens to be the fourth highest civilian award of the country.
Ms Kalinga